Combined sleigh and boat.



No. 861,607. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

I A. PPEIFER.' COMBINED SLEIGH AND BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 19,1906.

AUGUST PFEIFER, OF CARLYLE, ILLINOIS.-

COMBINED SLEIGH AND BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed April 19,1906. Serial No. 312,701.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUs'r PFEIFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Carlyle, in the county of Clinton and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Sleighand Boat, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined sleigh and boat adapted fornavigation upon the water and for travel over snow or icy surfaces andit has for its object to present a device of this class which shall besimple and inexpensive in construction, safe and durable.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theinvention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a combined sleigh andboat embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The improved device, in its preferred form, comprises two oblongelliptical or boat-shaped floats 1-1 which may be advantageouslyconstructed of sheet metal, such as galvanized iron; said floatsconstituting air tanks which, being extremely buoyant, will support aheavy load when the device is used for water navigation. Each of thefloats or tanks is provided with a screw cap 2 constituting a tightlyfitting closure which may be removed, if necessary, for the purpose ofdis charging water that may have leaked into the floats or tanks.

The floats 1l are securely connected with each other by means ofcross-bars or braces 33 and 4-4, and the latter braces are providedintermediate the floats with upstanding yokes 55; said yokes being forthe purpose of supporting the seat 6 which may consist of a strip ofsheet metal or other suitable material, curved or saggod downwardly soas to afford a convenient seat or saddle for the occupant. Supportedupon the cross-bars 33, and extending longitudinally beneath the seat,and between the side members of the yokes or arches 5-5, is a box orcasing 7 which may be used for storing material that is to betransported. Each of the floats 1 also supports a longitudinallydisposed box or casing 8 which may be utilized for storage purposes, andalso as foot rests for the occupant.

Extending longitudinally beneath each of the floats 1, and connectedtherewith by means of braces 9 is a runner 10. These runners are made ofconsiderable Width, and their front ends are upturned, as shown at 11,in front of the prows of the floats, their upper ends being reverselybent as shown at 12, and secured upon the front ends of the floats.

The cross-bars 4 are preferably bent downward adjacent to the outersides of the floats, as shown at 13, and extended partly beneath saidfloats as best seen at 14 in Fig. 3; the terminal ends of said barsbeing bent downward as shown at 15 and connected with the runners. Bythis construction the floats will be very securely connected, and thefloats will be braced in such a manner as to be capable of resisting anystrain to which they are liable to be subjected.

It will be readily seen from the nature of this device that when placedin the water it is extremely buoyant and therefore capable of supportinga considerable load; owing to the spacing apart of the floats 1lcapsizing of the device is practically out of the question. In the waterthe device may be propelled by means of oars or by a paddle; when icy'fields are encountered or open surfaces covered with snow the device maybe.propelled by animal power or if desired, by means of a sail which maybe erected in any suitable and convenient manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.A device of the class described comprising two floats, crossbar-sconnecting the same, additional cross-bars connccting the floats andhaving upstanding yokes, a box or receptacle supported upon the firstcross-bars and extend ing between the side members of the yokes, and aseat connecting' the yokes.

2. A device of the class described comprising two floats, ClOSS-l)Ztl'Sconnecting; the same, a box or casing supported upon the cl'oss barsintermediate the floats, additional cross-bars connecting the floats andhaving upstanding yokes and terminal ends bent adjacent to the outer andundersides of the floats, and a seat connecting the yokes.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pair of longitudinallydisposed floats, runners upon their under-- sides, means for spacing andconnecting the floats, a lon gitudinally disposed seat or saddlesupported above the floats, and boxes or receptacles supported upon thefloats and constituting foot rests.

AUGUST PFEIFER.

